Which Social Network Is Right For Me or You?

Life Hackerâ€™s â€˜S.W.O.T.â€™ Analysis is a great resource / tool for those who are unsure as to the benefits of these social networks and so you know which networking tool fits you best!

This chart doesn’t cover everything about every network out there. MySpace is (seemingly) on the decline or, at best, re-purposing itself. LinkedIn is really a business contact pool, FourSquare a geo-location game, and other networks generally too niche to be compared in the same aspects and categories.

Here is the full chart of Lifehackerâ€™s Buzz, Twitter, and Facebook comparison. Each answer is color-coded to give a context of where it stood, in comparison to what is possible and what a smart user would like to see. Red means that you can’t rely on this network for this feature. Yellow indicates that the network offers it or makes due, but could definitely be better. Green means something works, and can be considered a selling point.

Click on the chart for a bigger view, or right-click to download the full-resolution file.

There’s a lot of text there already to parse through, but it’s obviously segmented and specific to each function. Having dug into the settings of each network and debated it with my fellow editors, I’ll try to offer up a concise take on how I’d explain each network to someone completely new to any of them. I hope it might spur some thought about which network you’re using now, too, and why.